Shaft-alinement gauge



Dec. 11,1923. 1,477,251

L. FRITZ f SHAFT ALINEMENT GAUGE Filed July 8 1922 Wifi/fasses: [nya/va Patented Dec. ll, 1923.

LEWIS FRITZ, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHAFT-ALINEMENT GAUGE.

vApplication filed July` 8, 1922.

T0 all whom t may' concern.'

Be it known that I, Lnwrs FRrTpz, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and

State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shaft-Alinement Gauges, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to shaft'alinement gauges especially designed for testing the alinement of a. crank shaft of a gasoline engine, and has for its principal object the pro'- vision of an improved construction of this character which will be highly efficient in use and economical in manufacture. j

It has been found by experience that a mechanic has considerable trouble in alining a shaft with respect to its bearing and it is primarily my object to provide a gauge which will testy and register the position in which the shaft lays in its bearing and to accomplish this object I provide'a number of radially disposed gauge fingers, each having agraduated scale through the medium of which a mechanic is able to tell by observing the scales whetheror not the shaft is in true alinement.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consistsin the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which,

Fig. 1, isla vertical sectional detail view of a shaft showing a gauge embodying the invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2, is a top plan view of the same taken 40 substantially on line 2 2 of Fig., 1, and, l

Fig. 3, is a fragmentary detail view of the same taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. .y

In carrying out the objects lof .my invention, I provide plate portions 10 and,11 adapted to be disposed on opposite sides of a shaft 12, as shown in Fig. 1, and adapted to rest on the bearing half 17 of an internal combustion engine.

adjacent ends of the plate portions 10 and 11 have knife blade edges, indicated at 12, which are adapted to engage the shaft 12 in respect with its line of center, as indicated by dotted lines 13. Adjacent the outer ends of the plates 10 and 11 are graduated scales As shown in Fig. 1, the

Serial No. 573,718.

18 and 19, the purposes of which will be more fully hereinafter explained.

Associated with the plates 10 and 11 is an arched member 2O comprising a semi-circular portion 21 and opposite integral lateral pro- 60 jections22, which are adapted to rest on the plate members 10 and 11 when in the position shown in Fig. ,2, andbe secured thereto by thumb bolts 14 and 15 which pass through elongated slots 23 and 24, as shown. This 65 construction is such that the arched member 20 can bemoved longitudinally with respect to the plates lOand 11, when desired, or when necessary. rlhey outer ed es of the lateral p'rojefztions 22 arebevelle as at 25, to permit a moreaccurate observation of the scales 1S and 19 as will be hereinafter more readily understood. The arched member 20 is releasably fixed to the plate portions 10 and 11 through `the medium of nut receiving bolts 26, which pass through lateral ears 27 formed on opposite sides of the lateral projections 22 and through'v elongated slots 28 formed in lateral projections 29 of the plate portions 10 and 11,. as clearly ,illustrated Figs. 2 and 3.v

In mounting the plate portions 10 and 11 in position the knife edges 1 2 and 12 are brought into contact with the shaft 12 and the arched member 2O is adjusted through the mediumof the scales 18 and 19 vso that the vertical line of center of the semi-circu lar portion 21 will bein true alinement. with the'vertical vline of center` of` the shaft 12. After this has been accomplished the thumb bolts 14: and 15 are tightened to hold lthe arched member 2O in the proper adjusted position. i

After mounting the gauge in the manner stated,'I employ gaugeiingers 30 and 31 which are carried by the semi-circular' portion 21 of the archedmember 20, asshown in Fig. 1,l to determine whether the yshaft 12 is in its properposition and true'alinement, vsaid gauge fingers being preferably square in 100 cross section and provided with finger knobs (A) to facilitatemanipulating the said finofers.l Y

The inner *ends of the gaugeiingers'are provided with seats'32`: which areadapted to 105 engage the'shaft12, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the shaft engaging sides of said seats being shaped to correspond with the shape of the shaft with which they engage. To retain the gauge fingers in contact with the shaft 110 mounted in the position, herein stated,` wlitlr` respect to the shaft l2, the seats 32 of the gauge fingers will rest on theJ outer "pe-M riphery of the shaft l2, as shown in Fig. 1. Now to determine whether or; notthe shaft isi in its proper alinement the mech-anic will observe thegraduated .scales of the lfing-ers 30 and-3l` and. if'he fin'ds that the measurements ofthe gauges, using; the' outer `surface 35 ofthe archedvmember .as a measuringline,l arenot the same,"he: will know. at once that the shaft 512 is notin proper aline ment.l :Should the. reading' ofv the scale. on one ofthe gauge lingers 301differ` fromthe 'reading of the scale' of thel other lfinger 30 the mechanic ywillnat once know' that'` the shaft is not inproperalinementior that the peripheral surfaoeof the shaft .isfnot true; placing one of'my improved aline ment' gauges on each of a seriessof alined bearingrblocks ashaft can be readily .alined in true v-position with-`respeet to the series of alined bearing blocks. By the use of my alinement gauge the necessity of mounting the shaft yand-alinin'g the same with shims, whichare' mounted inthe bearings, Yis obviated and the simplicity ofthe construction of the gauge is' of suchnature that the op? eration of the same, lwhen in use can be readily .under'stoodsand the gauge can be manufactured aty a nominal cost: .'While 1 rhave illustrated and described the preferredformy of construction for oarf ryingmy invention into effect, this :.is'capable. of variationl andmodification without departing from' the spirit oftheA invention I, therefore. .do not wish to be.l limited to the precise details ofconstruction setY forth. but desire to zwail'myselfl of such variations andmodifications as Vcome within the scope of the appended ."claims. f vV Y 1 Having,describedZ my invention, what 1 claim as new -and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

.lL/A gauge for the purposes herein set forth comprising plate portions adapted to bel mountediinto engagement `with a :shaft a member, fixedl to the: plate portions and having a portion in spacedrelationlwith. the shaft and providedwith elements adapterflto be radially disposedfabout theshaftand be releas-ably held in contact therewith.

2. A gauge for the purposes herein set forth` comprising: plates ,adapted to. be Aldisposed Y.on .opposite ,sides of.,Y a.: shaftyand having ifez, edges for .engagement there;

with, and a member movably xed to the plates and having a portion in spaced relation with the shaft and provided V`with elements adapted to '-be radially disposed @about the shaft Iand be releasably held in contact therewith.

3.-A`g'fauge for the purposes herein set forth comprising plate portions adapted to be-disposedon opposite corresponding sides of a shaft and ,provided with knife edges for'engagement'tlrerewith, a member adapted to be mountedon the plate portion for adjustment irelatively -to' 'said Y plate portion andhaving an arched portionvin spaced `relation@ witherespectv to lthe shaft 3 and elements-carried bythe archedportion adapted` to. be disposed radiallyaboutisaid shaft and releasably heldin Ycontact therewith, said elements being providedl with operatingknobsw Y i f A-igauge for the purposes herein set forthy comprisingfmembers 'having 'end por-v tions for engagementwith al shaftonopposite correspondingsides thereof -a mem;l ber having an .archedportiong means adjustably securimgfthev member to` said members, l

elements carriedby. said member for engage mentrwith the shaft,. and resilient'meansfor holdingsaid 'elements in such engagement.

5. A ,gauge for the lpurposes herein-set forth comprising .adjustableplate portions adapted to engage. a* shaft; an arched member ,associatedfwith saidA Y.plate portions.; means adjustablyv securing.A said plate por@ tions and said :arched vmember together;

gauge fingersI having graduated scales carled by 1 saidl arched .member, there being seats on said gauge fingers adapted to -engage the periphery of said shaft; land' a spring member associated -withleach-,of isaid fingersfor..retainingsaidseats in contact L l with saidi'shaft. Y t

6r A gauge of `the class described comprising plate :portionsadapted to bemounted yon abearing block there being a graduated scale on each of said plate portions;

anarched member 'associatedwithsaid -plate portions ;V Ymeans adq'ustablyl -v securing the plate portions and thearchedjmember togetherg;Y gauge fingers.. having` graduated scalesl carriedu by said arched member;` a seatw formedl onV each fof said'` gauge fingers forengagement with1 -th e periphery o'faa shaft journalled in said bearing block; and means v for .retaining saidseats; in f Contact withssaidv shaft..

Inl-testimony whereof lwhave signed my named toslthis 'i specificationin A`the presence of-.aJsubscribingLwitnessAW s ,f-

f GnARENoE ETnREEDY. 

